Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Embargo Process for ScholarWorks@UARK:

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The student submits the thesis/dissertation/project to ProQuest, following the instructions on the Graduate School's website. ScholarWorks@UARK then harvests the thesis/dissertation/project from ProQuest. The document "Publishing Settings Explained" in the User's Guide explains how the embargo options offered by ProQuest are applied in ScholarWorks@UARK.

Research Relating to Potential Patents: If the thesis/dissertation/project contains research relating to a potential patent, ProQuest does not make either the metadata or the thesis/dissertation/project available for harvesting. Consequently, no record appears in ScholarWorks@UARK. When a patent is issued, the U of A Technology Ventures notifies University Libraries and ScholarWorks@UARK makes the thesis/dissertation/project accessible.

Indefinite Embargo {ProQuest option – never available}: Although the thesis/dissertation/project is stored on one of the library servers, it never becomes accessible to web users and no metadata record appears in ScholarWorks@UARK.

Limited-Period Embargo {ProQuest option – delay release}: The student chooses an embargo period. Although the thesis/dissertation/project itself does not become accessible to web users, the metadata record, including the date when it will become accessible, appears in ScholarWorks@UARK immediately.

Two weeks before the embargo's expiration, the student receives a notice from ScholarWorks@UARK, giving him/her the opportunity to renew the embargo or to release the thesis/dissertation/project in this system.

If the student chooses to renew, the thesis/dissertation/project remains inaccessible through ScholarWorks@UARK and the accessibility date on the metadata record is changed. He/she needs to contact ProQuest separately to request a renewal in that system.

If the student chooses to release the thesis/dissertation/project or if he/she does not respond to the notice of expiration, it becomes fully accessible and the accessibility line is removed from the metadata record.

No Embargo {ProQuest options – open access publishing plus; traditional publishing; do not delay release}: Both the metadata and the thesis become available in ScholarWorks@UARK immediately.